The Archdiocese of Los Angeles on Tuesday criticized the Dodgers for backtracking and renewing an invitation to a group of self-described “queer and trans nuns” to take part in the team's Pride Night.
The Dodgers came under fire from a host of LGBTQ advocacy groups and elected officials following its decision to rescind its original invitation. On Monday, the Dodgers reversed course and publicly apologized to the group, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles on Tuesday called on Catholics to stand together against the team's reversal.
“The decision to honor a group that clearly mocks the Catholic faith and makes light of the sincere and holy vocations of our women religious who are an integral part of our church is what has caused disappointment, concern, anger, and dismay from our Catholic community,” according to a statement from the Archdiocese.
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“The Archdiocese stands against any actions that would disparage and diminish our Christian faith and those who dedicate their lives to Christ.”
In a statement released Monday, the Dodgers said, “After much thoughtful feedback from our diverse communities, honest conversations within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and generous discussions with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Los Angeles Dodgers would like to offer our sincerest apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their friends and families.”
The Sisters organization is expected to receive a Community Hero Award during the team's Pride Night event, honoring the group's efforts to promote human rights, diversity and “spiritual enlightenment.”
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In their own statement, the sisters said they are “proud” to accept the Dodgers’ Community Hero Award. The sisters said they are to be honored for their 27 years of service in the LGBTQIA community.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center issued a statement Monday calling the team's reversal “a step in the right direction.”
“Last week's debacle underscores the dangerous impact of political tactics by those who seek to stoke the flames of anti-LGBTQ bias at a time when our rights are under attack,'' the center's CEO, Joe Hollendoner, said. “We must continue to stand together as a community in defense of the rights and
recognition of LGBTQ+ people in Los Angeles and beyond.”
The Dodgers' decision last week to withdraw its invitation to the Sisters came after complaints were raised by several Catholic organizations and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, who said the group regularly disparaged Christians.
The Dodgers pulled the sisters from their Pride Night the day after Bill Donohue, president and CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, had emailed Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to urge the team to yank the group.
His letter to Manfred, dated May 16, called the sisters “an obscene anti-Catholic group.” Less than a day later, the Dodgers removed the sisters from Pride Night.
In an interview with NBC4, Donohue said the sisters offend thousands in the Catholic Church.
“When they trashed the Eucharist, the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and the blessed mother, our Virgin Mary, you’re asking for war with Catholics – quite frankly, a culture war – and we’re going to engage you on that,” Donohue said.
Rubio also sent a complaint to Manfred, saying the group “mocks Christians through diabolical parodies of our faith.”
The organization Catholic Vote also condemned the group's inclusion in the Dodgers' event. Its president, Brian Burch, issued a statement last week hailing the team's decision to exclude the group, which he called “an anti-Catholic hate group known for their gross mockery of Catholic nuns.”
The Sisters issued a statement last week expressing “deep offense” at being uninvited to the event, calling the decision a capitulation to “hateful and misleading information from people outside their community.” The group insisted it is a nonprofit organization that “annually raises thousands of dollars to distribute to organizations supporting marginalized communities.”
The Sisters' website describes the organization as “a leading-edge order of queer and trans nuns.”
One member, who wished to be identified only as Sister Unity because she fears for her safety, said that the group uses humor to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt.
Sister Unity insists that her group does not mock Catholics. Several members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are themselves Catholic.
“We do not intentionally mock Catholicism. We’re actually quite fond of Pope Francis. He has made wonderful strides in being welcoming towards our community. To mock Catholicism would be to mock people, and we are here to uplift people,” Sister Unity said.
Meanwhile, over the weekend, Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken invited the Sisters to be her guests at the Los Angeles Angels Pride Night at Angel Stadium on June 7.
“Pride should be inclusive and like many, I was disappointed in the Dodgers decision,” Aitken wrote on social media.
On Monday, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange criticized Aitken for extending the invitation.
In a statement Tuesday, the sisters said they accepted Aitken’s invitation to attend the Angels’ Pride Night.
“We warmly appreciate the mayor’s inclusion because Orange County is where a substantial number of members of our LGBTQIA2S community reside, work and play, as well as being home to some nuns of our own madcap convent,” they said.
